Don’t let your exercising motivation drop with the winter temperatures – for those of you into your cycling, it’s possible to get more than a good workout no matter the weather, and for much less money than you think. All you have to do is simply buy a good-value indoor bike trainer.
We’ve reviewed all the big name brands producing indoor bike stands, but one brand that is perhaps a little off the radar is RAD Cycling. They perhaps aren’t in the same league as your Kurt Kinetics and CycleOps, but the trainers they produce have found themselves a great little market in the super-value niche.
Their RAD Cycle Indoor Magnetic Trainer is the perfect example of a super-value trainer. You can quickly and easily convert your outdoor two-wheeler into a stationary bike in a matter of minutes and have yourself some decent indoor training sessions – all for under $80!
Discover the latest discounts on this RAD Cycling trainer HERE!Our review takes a closer look at just what you get for your money…
Portable and Robust Frame
Bike trainers are supposed to support your weight and with some of us piling on one or three pounds too many, they need to be sturdy. The engineers at RAD Cycling understand this need and they’ve designed the RAD Cycle magnetic workout trainer with solid metal construction for extra durability.
Another great feature about this bike trainer is its portable design. When you want to take your trainer with you, you don’t have to make so much extra room for it since the frame folds up easily like an ironing board (check out the image on the left). This also makes storage that much easier when the trainer is not in use during the warmer, cycling season months.
To ensure the bike stand doesn’t rock about too much, RAD Cycling equipped this trainer with no-slip grip stabilizers on each end of all four legs. To enhance stability further, the trainer’s front and back legs adjoin in pairs via a horizontal metal bar that runs horizontally across the floor.
All in all, this is one solid trainer (and yes, we rank it as one of the three best trainers for under $90!).
Powered by Decent Magnetic Resistance
The RAD trainer uses magnetism to generate resistance as you cycle, but it lacks automatic resistance settings like other top range trainers. However, you can still change resistance by either shifting your bike’s gears or twisting the knob that pushes the trainer roller against your bike’s rear tire. The latter option is obviously a bit more inconvenient since you would have to stop cycling to adjust resistance.
However, one of the great things about the magnetic resistance technology that this RAD Cycling bike trainer uses is that it produces less noise when compared to other bike trainers in the same price bracket, and especially those powered by wind resistance. That said though, this trainer still creates some sound when in use. The noise level is bearable, but depending on individual tolerance levels, some users may find it slightly loud.
Suits both Road and Mountain Bikes
The extra wide legs of the RAD magnetic bike trainer are a great feature for cyclists with big bicycles. Both road and mountain bikes with a tire diameter of 26” and 27” as well as 700c wheels can fit easily on this trainer.
The portable RAD trainer is also designed for bikes with a quick release rear axles. Mounting your rear tire is easy using the quick release skewer; once you’ve got the rear wheel ready and setup next to the roller, just adjust the resistance level using the knob on the front side of your flywheel and you’re away!
Dimensions
The RAD Cycle portable magnetic workout bicycle trainer is 15.8 x 21.2 x 18.2 inches in size and weighs 17 pounds (quite a bit lighter than many other trainers, it has to be said).
The Pros and Cons of the RAD Cycle Mag Trainer
The Pros…
- Stable and extra durable construction
- Portable design for easy storage and traveling
- Extra wide legs ideal for both road and mountain bikes
- Inexpensive magnetic bike trainer
- A useful User Manual
- Easy installation (comes preassembled)
The Cons…
- Trainer makes a slight humming noise when in use
- No additional resistance settings included
What online reviewers have been saying about the RAD Mag Trainer
There are many positive customer testimonials on this bike trainer on both RAD Cycle’s website and other independent customer review websites. At the time of writing, the RAD Magnetic trainer has been reviewed more than 350 times on Amazon alone and has an average 4-star rating out of five. Not too shabby at all.
The only major complaint from users is that the trainer is not exactly dead silent. But seriously, at this price, I think that’s being fairly picky.
Bang for your buck?
For a half-decent magnetic resistance bike trainer, the RAD Cycle Mag trainer is very affordable. Because of its low price and decent features, it comes as no surprise to us to see this trainer ranked as one of the top sellers on Amazon.
In conclusion, the RAD Cycle Magnetic Bike Trainer is worth it if you just need a basic bike stand to launch your indoor riding career and can tolerate slight noise that is about as loud as a vacuum cleaner. Of course, you can spend more on a fluid trainer if you want something quieter to ride in the house while watching TV or a movie. However, this trainer is actually one of the best-priced magnetic trainers on the market and we have to admit, it offers good value for the price when you consider the features you’ll be getting.
